Tory Advert Regarding Bingo and Beer Tax Causes Controversy

Chancellor George Osborne came to the defense of Conservative Party advert targeting the working class voters, claiming 'they enjoy Bingo and cheap beer'.

The advert was launched on Twitter by Grant Shapps, chairman of the Conservative Party. The advert read:

'Bingo! Cutting the bingo tax and beer duty to help hardworking people do more of the things they enjoy.' Mr Shapps urged Conservative supporters to 'spread the word'.

It didn't sit well and was not widely received as it was mocked online and spoofs referring to whippets, eating swans, shooting poor people and referring that the Tories think it is still 1961.

Using the word 'they' in advert mislead the message about the help for Bingo halls and pubs.

'These are important Budget measures, they are not the only Budget measures,' Mr Osborne told the BBC.

'This whole story... was whipped up by a Labour Party that didn't have anything else to say about the economy.

'We are communicating what's in the Budget. The more people hear about the Budget the more confident people can be that they are on the right track.'

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: 'I think the tweet was a bit silly, partly because actually the issues involved in this Budget were really quite serious, including, by the way, giving support to the bingo industry - an important industry - giving support to our pubs and so on.'

Speaking on his weekly radio phone-in on LBC, Mr Clegg added: 'There were just much bigger things at stake in the Budget as well, namely how are over 24million people going to benefit, which they will now do with an additional £100 tax cut.

'The very important package we've been working on for weeks to help savers... because people who save, first, should be trusted more with how they manage their own money, their own savings; but secondly, after years and years of low interest rates, we need to make sure as the recovery starts taking root that savers who haven't really benefitted from that stand to do so from now on.'